As I sit here writing this column, we have just entered the month of November. In the Northeast, the temperature has just dropped about 30 degrees in a two-week time frame. With the onset of daylight savings time and the winter season fast approaching, nightfall is coming earlier and earlier. Snow, sleet and slush will soon be falling. Some people love the snow, others hate it. Either way, the cold temperatures will make many of us retreat to the indoors. Plus, the holidays are coming. Many people thrive on the excitement of the holidays. On the other hand, many people will go nuts with the stress of the holidays. Point being: we can be easily distracted during this time of the year. Whichever route we take, we cannot sit back and let this time slip away in our business, or we might not have a business to come back to in the New Year!

Over the past year, many businesses have come across some hard times. Some have stayed right on target and others have actually had “a good year.” What makes one company do well and another do poorly? Obviously, many factors come into play—ownership, management, employees, products, etc. A couple of factors that stand out in my mind are marketing and education. Whether your company is having a good year or a bad year, these are key factors to surviving in today’s world. Luckily, the industry we are in offers many avenues for marketing and education.

The recent NSDJA show is a perfect example. This show gave us all the opportunity to market ourselves and educate ourselves, whether about new, exciting products or new technologies in the marketplace. More importantly, the show gave us all the opportunity to learn what is going on in the industry currently and also in the future. For example, Alan Campbell, president of Window and Door Manufacturers Association, presented a seminar at the NSDJA Show that dealt with a new side-hinged exterior door system standard. This seminar raised concerns among jobbers in attendance on the future of their businesses.

We at SHELTER are also in the process of developing a brand new website that will help keep you informed on new items, products, events, buyers’ guides, etc. Take a minute to visit our site at
www.sheltermagazine.com. You don’t even have to leave your office or your home! The opportunities are out there to keep you up to date on the latest products; you just need to keep active during these dull winter months.
Enjoy your holidays!